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1 | AN ACT concerning long-term care.
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2 | Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
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3 | represented in the General Assembly:
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4 | Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
5 | Long-term Care Options Program Act. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
6 | Section 5. Purpose. The purpose of the Long-term Care | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
7 | Options Program is to help all seniors aged 60 and older with | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
8 | long-term or chronic care needs make decisions and select care | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
9 | options that meet their needs and reflect their preferences for | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
10 | long-term care. The availability of and access to information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
11 | and other types of assistance is also intended to prevent or | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
12 | delay unnecessary nursing facility placements and to provide | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
13 | transition assistance back to the community after admission, if | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
14 | deemed appropriate by timely re-assessments. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
15 | Section 10. Definitions. For the purposes of this Act: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
16 | "Agency" means a single point of entry agency. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
17 | "Department" means the Department on Aging. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
18 | "Options Program" means the Long-term Care Options Program | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
19 | established under this Act. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
20 | Section 15. Long-term Care Options Program. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
21 | (a) The Governor shall create a Long-Term Care Options | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
22 | Program to establish a single point-of-entry system that | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
23 | assures ease of access to and coordination of community-based | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
24 | long-term care services for all seniors. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
25 | (b) The Options Program shall be administered by the | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
26 | Department on Aging in coordination with the Departments of | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
27 | Public Aid and Public Health. The Department shall assure that | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
28 | a single point of entry system exists and is accessible in all | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
29 | planning and service areas. The Options Program shall build | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
30 | upon the knowledge and expertise of the systems already in |
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1 | place such as the area agencies on aging, care coordination | ||||||
2 | units, and senior centers. The Department shall also make every | ||||||
3 | effort to streamline services in the planning and service areas | ||||||
4 | by eliminating, merging, and consolidating redundant or | ||||||
5 | duplicative services. | ||||||
6 | (c) In developing a budget for the Options Program, the | ||||||
7 | Department may phase in implementation, based on available | ||||||
8 | appropriations and incorporate funding from other State and | ||||||
9 | federal programs, including but not limited to the medical | ||||||
10 | assistance program under Title XIX of the Social Security Act, | ||||||
11 | the Older Americans Act, federal systems change grants under | ||||||
12 | the New Freedom Initiative, general revenue funds, foundation | ||||||
13 | funding, and other sources of funding identified by the State | ||||||
14 | of Illinois for any services that would or could be provided | ||||||
15 | under the Options Program. | ||||||
16 | (d) In consultation with the Council created under Section | ||||||
17 | 25, the Department shall create a uniform name, identity, | ||||||
18 | public information campaign, and logo to be used throughout the | ||||||
19 | State, and designate the types of agencies that should use that | ||||||
20 | name, identity, and logo.
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21 | Section 20. Single point of entry agencies. | ||||||
22 | (a) A comprehensive, up-to-date information database on | ||||||
23 | all available senior services and benefit programs shall be | ||||||
24 | accessible through each single point-of-entry agency to | ||||||
25 | seniors and their families upon request or as needed. The | ||||||
26 | agency shall have trained staff to respond to the questions and | ||||||
27 | concerns of inquirers. The agency must publicize its services | ||||||
28 | and offer information about long-term care more generally | ||||||
29 | through culturally sensitive public information campaigns. It | ||||||
30 | must reach out to and educate first-line-of-contact | ||||||
31 | individuals, including but not limited to physicians, clergy, | ||||||
32 | pharmacists, legislative staff, other State agencies, | ||||||
33 | librarians, and other professionals. The agency shall | ||||||
34 | determine appropriate and acceptable referrals and determine | ||||||
35 | which individuals require further care planning and |
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1 | coordination. | ||||||
2 | (b) Upon request, the agency shall assess and provide | ||||||
3 | comprehensive care planning and coordination for seniors and | ||||||
4 | their caregivers towards the objective of identifying and | ||||||
5 | arranging appropriate long-term care services. Services shall | ||||||
6 | be provided regardless of the restrictions on eligibility for | ||||||
7 | any publicly funded program. These services shall include, at a | ||||||
8 | minimum, all of the following: | ||||||
9 | (1) Comprehensive, timely client assessment to | ||||||
10 | identify the needs of the senior and the family using | ||||||
11 | standardized assessment tools. | ||||||
12 | (2) Development of a care plan based on the assessment. | ||||||
13 | (3) Assistance in implementing the care plan, | ||||||
14 | including determination of eligibility for available | ||||||
15 | programs and assistance in applying for such programs. | ||||||
16 | (4) Arranging for an adequate level of services that | ||||||
17 | allows a person to stay at home if this is the most | ||||||
18 | cost-effective approach. | ||||||
19 | (5) Reassessment of the client as needed to accommodate | ||||||
20 | changes in physical, emotional, or mental conditions and | ||||||
21 | providing other follow-up as needed. | ||||||
22 | (6) Pre-admission consultation and screening before | ||||||
23 | entering a nursing facility. | ||||||
24 | (7) Community reintegration assistance for seniors who | ||||||
25 | have been admitted to a nursing facility and would prefer | ||||||
26 | to return to their home.
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27 | Section 25. Long-term Care Options Council. | ||||||
28 | (a) There is hereby created a Long-term Care Options | ||||||
29 | Council consisting to the following members: | ||||||
30 | (1) The Director of Aging or his or her designee. | ||||||
31 | (2) The Director of Public Aid or his or her designee. | ||||||
32 | (3) The Director of Public Health or his or her | ||||||
33 | designee. | ||||||
34 | (4) The Secretary of Human Services or his or her | ||||||
35 | designee. |
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1 | (5) Representatives of the following appointed by the | ||||||
2 | Governor: | ||||||
3 | (A) Community care unit providers. | ||||||
4 | (B) Area agencies on aging. | ||||||
5 | (C) Advocacy organizations. | ||||||
6 | (D) Nursing facilities. | ||||||
7 | (E) Senior center directors. | ||||||
8 | (F) Consumers. | ||||||
9 | (G) Researchers. | ||||||
10 | (b) The Council shall be geographically, ethnically, and | ||||||
11 | racially diverse. | ||||||
12 | (c) The Council shall have the responsibility to: | ||||||
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(1) develop protocols for single point of entry | ||||||
14 | agencies with appropriate benchmarks for evaluation of | ||||||
15 | outreach efforts, intake processes, assessments, care | ||||||
16 | management, pre-admission screening, and client follow-up; | ||||||
17 | (2) develop a process for the selection of single | ||||||
18 | point-of-entry agencies; | ||||||
19 | (3) coordinate service networks to maximize resources | ||||||
20 | and minimize duplication of services through vehicles such | ||||||
21 | as inter-agency agreements; | ||||||
22 | (4) make recommendations regarding the State budget | ||||||
23 | for long-term care services across all State agencies; | ||||||
24 | integrate federal, State, and local funding sources; and | ||||||
25 | identify additional funding sources such as foundations; | ||||||
26 | (5) develop a plan to facilitate the ability of all | ||||||
27 | older persons to access and pay for affordable in-home and | ||||||
28 | other support services, by exploring funding possibilities | ||||||
29 | that include but are not limited to spend-downs, | ||||||
30 | co-payments, private long-term care insurance, and waivers | ||||||
31 | of requirements under the Older Americans Act; | ||||||
32 | (6) identify barriers to the provision of alternative | ||||||
33 | long-term care services by licensed long-term care | ||||||
34 | facilities, including but not limited to, regulatory | ||||||
35 | complexity, State requirements, and federal requirements; | ||||||
36 | (7) make recommendations for building a qualified and |
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1 | adequately trained work force prepared to provide | ||||||
2 | long-term care services for seniors and their families; | ||||||
3 | (8) review and disseminate research on best practices | ||||||
4 | and model programs and create demonstration projects to | ||||||
5 | test these practices and programs in Illinois; and | ||||||
6 | (9) develop and implement programs that may include | ||||||
7 | such elements as money following the person, cash and | ||||||
8 | counseling, managed long-term care, and integration of | ||||||
9 | acute and chronic care systems. | ||||||
10 | (d) The Council shall submit a preliminary report to the | ||||||
11 | Governor and General Assembly by March 1, 2005. Thereafter, on | ||||||
12 | September 1 of each year, the Council shall submit a report to | ||||||
13 | the Governor and General Assembly on the progress of | ||||||
14 | implementation and recommendations related to the Long-Term | ||||||
15 | Care Options Program.
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16 | Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon | ||||||
17 | becoming law.
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